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Kannada bodies threaten to organise State bandh

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE SEPT. 12. Various Kannada Organisations on Thursday threatened to organise a State bandh in association with farmers' organisations if the Chief Minister, S.M.Krishna, "did not learn a lesson" from the successful Bangalore bandh called in protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Addressing a press conference here under the banner of Krishna-Cauvery Hitarakshana Samiti, the Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha leader, Vatal Nagaraj, said the bandh was the beginning of Kannadigas' struggle against the Centre and the State Government with regard to their stand on sharing Cauvery and Krishna waters.

The samiti would coordinate with like-minded organisations in the State, farmers' organisations, and Kannada bodies in border areas with regard to the proposed State bandh. If the Krishna Government did not stop releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, the bandh would be organised at the earliest, Mr. Nagaraj said.

He said Bangalore had never in its history seen such a support to the bandh. He thanked the people and political parties for extending their support. The bandh was called to express the agony of Kannadigas against the neglect of State's interests.

Mr. Nagaraj said the samiti would organise a "Cauvery convention" within 15 days at the Krishna Raja Sagar Reservoir in Mandya District.

More than 20,000 people from Bangalore would take part in it. Stating that only farmers from Mysore and Mandya districts used to participate in such events, he said the proposed convention was to express the solidarity of Bangaloreans with them.

The Kannada activist, Janagere Venkataramaiah, alleged that the State Government attempted to create a divide between Kannada organisations. Mr. Krishna's meeting with these organisations on Wednesday was one such step. However, the organisations boycotted the meeting, he said.

The Kannada Chaluvali Kendra Samiti leader, G. Narayana Kumar, said the statement of the Government that it would submit another application to the Cauvery River Authority to reconsider its earlier decision was farce, and had been made to deceive the people. If the Government was serious, it would not have agreed to release eight cusecs of water at the CRA meeting, he added.

The Kannada activists, Sa. Ra. Govindu, Ramanna Kodihosalli, Chandrashekhara Patil, Prabhakara Reddy, and B.T. Lalitha Naik, were present.

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